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On December 10 & 12, 1976, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers played their first two shows in Boston, MA, opening up for Al Kooper at Paul’s Mall, a long-defunct club located underground at 733 Boylston Street.

Their self-titled debut album had been out for about a month on Shelter Records, and deejays in Boston were among the first in the country to spin it. Depending on who you ask in the Heartbreaker camp, the Boston shows were among the first ten gigs of the band’s storied career.

“Better safe than sorry, I guess. Here’s one we don’t normally do. Thanks for sticking with us through the storm.”

Tom turned from his microphone and walked back toward Steve Ferrone as the drummer counted off, launching into “Swingin’” off the band’s 1999 album, Echo. Moments before, Tom and the guys had returned to the stage at Red Rocks Amphitheatre outside Denver, CO after bad weather forced the venue to pull the band off the stage and ask fans to evacuate and take cover.

“We’re gonna break the record for loudest noise in Florida history, so lemme hear ya!”

Tom strode around the stage, a vintage Rickenbacker hung around his neck, waving his hands in the air as if he was conducting the ear-piercing cacophony from the 19,000-plus in attendance at Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL on Friday night.

Just as the screams and applause began to fade, Tom and Mike Campbell tore into the guitar riff that opens “You Wreck Me,” the fourth track off Wildflowers.